The present invention relates to pneumatic tires, and more specifically to closed torus tires that are inflated by means of a circumferential conduit.
Closed torus tires, sometimes referred to by persons working in the tire arts as tube tires, oval tires, or simply torus tires, have been inflated in the past by means of an integral inflation valve assembly that extended through a passage in the rim upon which the tire was mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,370 issued to Unwin, et al, teaches a seal arrangement for a closed torus tire including an air inlet passage through the base of the tire, and a raised sealing device for forming a seal immediately about the air inlet passage and a valve opening in the rim upon which the tire is mounted. Both of these means for inflating a closed torus tire have the disadvantage that they may be rendered inoperable by circumferential slippage of the closed torus tire with respect to the rim that it is mounted upon. In the case of a tire having an integral valve, the valve stem may be sheared off. In the case of a tire manufactured in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,370 the air inlet and sealing device may be displaced such that it no longer communicates with the valve opening in the rim.
The foregoing disadvantages may be overcome by a closed torus tire provided in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, which comprises: a carcass defining a closed inflation chamber, said carcass having an annular base region with a radially inner mounting surface having a circumferential groove therein; and said annular base region having an air inlet passageway therethrough communicating with said circumferential groove to provide an air conduit means for inflating the closed torus tire.
There is provided in accordance with another aspect of the present invention a closed torus tire comprising: a carcass defining a closed inflation chamber, said carcass having an annular base region with a radially inner mounting surface having a circumferential rib extending radially inward therefrom, said circumferential rib having a radially inner circumferential surface; and said annular base region and said rib having an air inlet passageway therethrough communicating with said closed inflation chamber and the radially inner circumferential surface of said rib to provide an air conduit means for inflating the closed torus tire.
There is provided in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention a closed torus tire comprising: a carcass defining a closed inflation chamber, said carcass having an annular base region with a radially inner mounting surface; an annular insert having radially inner and outer circumferential surfaces, the radially outer circumferential surface of said annular insert being bonded to said radially inner mounting surface, the radially inner circumferential surface of said annular insert having a circumferential groove therein; and said annular base region and said annular insert having an air inlet passageway therethrough communicating with the circumferential groove to provide an air conduit means for inflating the closed torus tire.
There is provided in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention a rim for mounting a closed torus tire thereon, said rim comprising: (a) an annular rim base having first and second axial ends and radially inner and outer circumferential surfaces, said rim base having a retaining flange located near said first axial end; (b) an annular rim base extension having first and second axial ends and radially inner and outer circumferential surfaces, said rim base extension having a retaining flange located near said second axial end, said rim base and said rim base extension being adjacent to one another and attached to one another by means for attachment; and (c) a circumferential conduit extending about said rim and communicating with an inflation valve passageway through said rim to provide an air conduit means for inflating a closed torus tire.
There is provided in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention the assembly of a closed torus tire and a rim, said assembly comprising: (a) a rim having an annular rim base with first and second axial ends and radially inner and outer circumferential surfaces, said rim having an inflation valve passageway therethrough, and an inflation valve assembly attached by means for attachment to said inflation valve passageway; (b) a closed torus tire mounted around said rim, said closed torus tire having a carcass defining a closed inflation chamber, said carcass having an annular base region with a radially inner mounting surface, said annular base region having an air inlet passageway therethrough; (c) a circumferential conduit located at an interface of said closed torus tire and said rim and communicating with both the inflation valve passageway of said rim and the air inlet passageway of said closed torus tire to provide an air conduit means for inflating the closed torus tire; and (d) a means for forming a seal between said closed torus tire and said rim to make the assembly airtight.